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Southwest Mississippi Community College

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Bears get huge 85-83 win over visiting Gulf Coast

By: Michael D. Gunnell, Southwest Sports Information
Chris McIntosh
Chuck Barnes

Men's Basketball | 2/9/2016 6:52:00 AM

Box Score

The Bears picked up another huge MACJC South Division win Monday night with an 85-83 home victory over the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs. Unlike their first meeting, an 89-88 double overtime Southwest win at Perkinston, this victory was accomplished in regulation.
 
The game was a "Pink Game" which both Southwest teams used to help raise awareness of breast cancer. Prior to the start of the contest, area breast cancer survivors were honored.
 
The win moved the Bears to 12-7 overall and, at 7-4, into a three-way tie with Gulf Coast and East Central, in the South. Gulf Coast fell to 16-4 overall.
 
Monday's matchup was much like the first with neither team willingly giving ground to the other. Gulf Coast took an early 4-0 lead before the Bears began to find their way. Bryce Baker's three pointer, with 15:44 left in the half, put the home team on top 12-8.
 
Gulf Coast then scored 15 of the next 22 points to take a 23-19 lead with 9:20 left in the half. The Bears then tied it at 23-23, with 7:51 on the clock, on back-to-back jumpers from Sean Smith and Emanuel Thompson.
 
Scoring the next six points, Gulf Coast pushed out to a six-point, 29-23 lead, with 6:07 remaining. But, long range bombs from Lafayette Rutledge and Thompson brought the Bears back to within two, 33-31, with 3:47 on the clock. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half, with Gulf Coast going up by as many as seven points, before Rutledge nailed a three with 0:44 on the clock that sent allowed the visitors to take a 43-40 lead at the break.
 
Terrell Miller's jumper with 19:15 left in the game left the Bears trailing 43-42. It also helped the Bears to score 12 of the first 18 points of the final half. The last of the 12 came on Rutledge's layup, with 16:23 to play, that left the Bears with a 52-49 lead.
 
The teams traded points for the next 4:27 before Guy Johnson's layup put gave the Bears a 65-59 lead with 11:56 left in the game.
 
Gulf Coast then scored nine of the next 11 points to reclaim the lead at 68-67 with 7:25 showing on the clock.
 
Miller hit a jumper with 5:51 to play that put the Bears back on top 70-68 but Gulf Coast tied it at 70-70  just 0:23 later on a basket by Davion Cole-Johnson.
 
The Bears took their biggest lead of the night, 78-71, on Thompson's short jumper with 2:19 to play. Seven straight points by Gulf Coast then left the teams tied at 78-78 with 1:14 on the clock.
 
The Bears then scored six of the next eight points to take an 84-80 lead with 0:09 to go. After Zach Parker fired in a three pointer for Gulf Coast to make the score 84-83, with 0:03 to play, Thompson hit one of two free throws to leave the Bears ahead 85-83 with 0:02 left.
 
In one final bit of drama, Parker launched a three pointer from nearly the length of the court that just missed its mark, allowing the Bears to escape with the win.
 
"Obviously," said Bears head coach Thomas Gray, "Gulf Coast's record, their stats and their team speak for themselves. Anytime that you come away with a win against a team like that, you feel extremely blessed. We were very fortunate (and are) very thankful that the Lord allowed us to pull that one out."
 
"One thing we have not done well (this season) is play well at home," Gray continued. "(So, for this game) We changed up our routine a little bit, did some things differently (and) hopefully than enhanced the guys' focus and it definitely showed on the court. If you look at it, all 11 guys (who played) played big minutes. We could not be more happy for this win, could not be more happy for the team win (and) we're really excited moving forward."
 
Thompson had a double-double, with 24 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Bears' offense. Miller scored 22 points and recorded nine rebounds. Baker and Rutledge were also in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Johnson tallied nine assists.
 
Gulf Coast's Anfernee Hampton topped all scorers with 25 points. The Bulldogs were 19 of 23 from the free throw line.
 
The Bears return to the court Thursday night, in Wesson, as they face arch-rival Co-Lin in an 8:00 South Division contest.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Terrell Miller

#1 Terrell Miller

F
6' 8"
Sophomore
Lafayette Rutledge

#3 Lafayette Rutledge

G
5' 11"
Sophomore
Guy Johnson

#11 Guy Johnson

G
6' 0"
Freshman
Sean Smith

#15 Sean Smith

F
6' 7"
Freshman
Emanuel Thompson

#21 Emanuel Thompson

G/F
6' 4"
Freshman
Bryce Baker

#23 Bryce Baker

G/F
6' 5"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Terrell Miller

#1 Terrell Miller

6' 8"
Sophomore
F
Lafayette Rutledge

#3 Lafayette Rutledge

5' 11"
Sophomore
G
Guy Johnson

#11 Guy Johnson

6' 0"
Freshman
G
Sean Smith

#15 Sean Smith

6' 7"
Freshman
F
Emanuel Thompson

#21 Emanuel Thompson

6' 4"
Freshman
G/F
Bryce Baker

#23 Bryce Baker

6' 5"
Freshman
G/F